Welcome to Close Call Sports. CCS objectively tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls in sport, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game. Developed from The Left Field Corner: MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL), whose purpose is to objectively track and analyze umpire ejections, video instant replay reviews and their corresponding calls, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Rob Drake On Bereavement After Wife Yvonnka Dies

Umpire Rob Drake is on bereavement after wife Yvonnka's sudden death in Arizona over the weekend. She was 38. Drake reportedly was informed Saturday night after his Brewers-Cardinals game, and promptly left for Phoenix to be with his family.

Drake has two children and lives in the Mesa, Arizona area. Memorial services will be held in Mesa, and later on in Edmonton, Canada. Yvonnka Chodkiewicz-Drake's family resides in Edmonton.

Yvonnka Monika (Chodkiewicz) Drake was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on February 13, 1978. As a young woman, Yvonnka loved dancing and traveling and participated in a traveling dance troupe that performed in Canada and Europe. Yvonnka married Rob Drake on October 12, 2002 and has lived in Mesa, AZ since then. She could always be found on the sidelines of Nicolas's baseball and soccer games. Yvonnka is survived by her husband, Rob, her son, Nicolas, and by step-daughter, Morgan, all of Mesa. Yvonnka's parents, Alex and Barbara Chodkiewicz, and sisters, Tereska, and Renia, all of Edmonton, Alberta also survive her. An additional service honoring Yvonnka's life will be held in Edmonton at a date yet to be determined.

In 2014, Sam Holbrook's wife Laura "Susie" Glass died at the age of 47 following a 2010 cancer diagnosis. Holbrook subsequently missed the entire 2014 season before returning to baseball during Grapefruit League Spring Training in 2015.

Mark Ripperger was moved from Detroit to fill in behind home plate for Drake on Gerry Davis' crew during Sunday's Brewers-Cardinals game, while Nic Lentz joined Ripperger's regular crew chief, Joe West, in Detroit.

On Monday, Vic Carapazza (Hirschbeck) replaced Todd Tichenor (Miller) and Sam Holbrook took over Ripperger's spot on Davis' crew in Detroit as Ripperger rejoined West's crew in St. Louis.

This story was initially reported on September 12 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as, "Umpire' wife dies."